Why is Data Science Necessary? Why Now?

The words, the history and the mindset!

Hassan Kibirige

Why is Data Science Necessary?

  • Jet Brains Python Developer Survey (2021)

    • 52% use python for Data Analysis
    • 37% use python for Machine Learning

    29% consider themselves to be Data Scientists

Why is Data Science Necessary?

Why is Data Science Necessary?

What is Data Science?

  • Defining things is hard

  • Two words

    1. Data
    1. Science

What is Science?

Science is the study of living things and non-living things.

Meaningless

 : Where is Hassan?

 : He is in the Universe.

What does science mean to the general public?

  • Scientific equipment
  • Setting (Laboratory)
  • Equations?
  • Scientist

Historically we have known about the world through our 5 senses.

 : I know what you are thinking.

And interpreted by our brains.

%%{init: {'themeVariables': { 'fontSize': '1.5em'}}}%%
flowchart LR
    Senses --> Brain
    Brain --> Insight

Our senses

  1. Sight

  2. Smell

    • Gas Molecules
  3. Taste

    • Liquid Molecules
    • Chemical sensing, just like taste
  1. Hearing

    • Pulsations of the air
  2. Touch

    • Pressure & Temperature sensing by the skin

A loop hole in the sense of touch

  1. Temperature

    Goal: Minimise the temperature difference. Touch something at 36°C/37°C (body temperature)

  2. Pressure

    Goal: Minimise pressure at point of contact

What are we going to touch?

  • Solid
    • hard to regulate temperature
    • you have to be very gentle
    • no suprise factor
  • Gas
    • Hard to contain
  • Liquid
    • Easy to contain
    • Easy to regulate the temperature

Steps

  1. Get a cup full of water to 37°C
  2. Close your eyes and gently lower your fingers straight down towards the surface of the water.

Equipment & Setup

Observation

When your fingers brake the water surface, you will not feel it.

Senses are not enough

We cannot even calibrate them

%%{init: {'themeVariables': { 'fontSize': '1.5em'}}}%%
flowchart LR
    Brain --> Insight

Greeks

  • 2600 years ago
    • Had enough time to think
    • When a world starting from what they could observe
    • Start of Philosophy
  • Disagreements
  • After 200 years
    • Logic (Valid Thinking)
    • No Disagreements

From the Greeks

  • To the Romans
  • To the Early Islamic Civilisation
    • Key influence from Indian sources

Western Europe

  • 15-17th centuries, rehabilitated Philosophy by borrowing from logic and mathematics
  • Ideas are only means to conclusions you can prove
  • Natural Philosophers (Scientists)
  • Scientific Method

What is Science?

Science is the practice of evaluating evidence using sound reasoning to gain insight.

Scientifically Literate

What is Data?

Recorded information

What is Data Science?

The practice of evaluating recorded information with sound reasoning to gain insight

Why Now?

Using Google Ngrams

Why Now (for us)?

Is it because we have a lot of data?

Thank You